Got ADHD? Pay What You Want for my products. No joke.

I’m a therapist who helps adults with ADHD regulate their nervous system, focus, and move from overwhelm to action using neurobiology-informed mindfulness and solution-focused strategies.If this resonates with you, click below for free items:ADHD library: https://thriveadhd.gumroad.com/Newsletter: https://biturl.top/uayARfTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@therapyjakeYouTube: https://youtube.com/@TherapyJake

People with ADHD don’t always struggle because they can’t focus. They also struggle because they’re constantly switching between mental networks, costing more energy.

Moving from the default mode network (brains resting state) into the executive network (brains goal directed task state) isn’t instant or sometimes doesn’t happen at all. Regulation, which is movement, breath, reorientation and engaging, acts as a bridge between the two.

tl;dr
You’re not procrastinating. You’re transitioning.

#adhd

Jacob Kountz

Therapist helping adults with ADHD regulate their nervous system and move into action.

In 2020, I was a new therapist with 30 LinkedIn followers, writing about everything and connecting with no one. Then my ADHD symptoms got worse. So I went deep: books, research, training with experts, shifted my entire doctorate focus.

Here's what I learned: this stuff is complicated and surface-level ADHD content doesn't cut it for everyone. Also, great change happens when you layer neuroscience, trauma-informed therapy, and tailored approaches worth discussing. And every time I wrote about this stuff, my LinkedIn engagement tanked. But my DMs flooded with "finally, someone gets it."

So I'm done holding back my friends. I think I've niched well enough.

Launching a newsletter on ADHD, therapy, and neuroscience, the deep stuff that doesn't get shared enough. No paywalls. No course pitch. Just applicable information you can use with each issue.

First issue just dropped with a little more detail about this journey (3 min read).

Link in comments. 👇

#adhd

You've probably heard it: "Trauma causes ADHD."

Big voices like Dr. Gabor Maté have made this popular. And it almost sounds reasonable. But the research tells a completely different story.

Here's what's actually happening, and why getting this right changes everything about how you understand your brain, your stress response, and what you can actually do about it.

The more responsible answer: it’s not that trauma causes ADHD.

It's that having ADHD can make you more sensitive to stress in ways most people don't realize.

And once you understand what's happening ‘under the hood’, you can finally start doing something about it. And I’ve laid it out in the second issue of my newsletter (5-7 min read).

Link in comments. 👇

#adhd

Therapist helping adults with ADHD regulate their nervous system, focus, and move into action.

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It’s hard to be a therapist right now. The more I keep my eyes on the news the heavier I feel my work becomes. You work in a space where hurt people seek healing, and then you see this pain as you step out of that space too. I try to find balance by holding my corner of the world as best I can, but I’m only human.

Publicized executions of any kind makes me feel like I’m grieving a personal loss to someone I’ve known. Not to mention I have this immediate access to this terrible pain, 24/7. And the way I function is that a human life means so much to me whether I know you or not. 

Then comes the fact I have my life to think about too. And I got questions. How much of what goes on outside my home can I carry before I fall a part within my own space? What’s the right balance? This weighs on my soul every day.

Sometimes I feel resilient, but today’s hitting me different. So I did what I knew best, write. 

Please, take care of yourselves in the way you know how. Honor where you’re at, consider your community. Find balance. Notice what helps and commit to what you can.

Oh, and I’ll try to take care of myself too.

Mindfulness isn’t what you think, especially with ADHD.

That misunderstanding is why it feels impossible.

In Issue number 3 of my newsletter, I break down what mindfulness actually is: presence without judgment, not silence or control, and why it’s uniquely supportive for ADHD brains.

The research shows it strengthens focus, emotional regulation, and executive function (and dozens of other brain regions).

And if mindfulness has never worked for you, this may explain why.

I also share a very real, very ADHD example of what mindfulness actually looks like in daily life (spoiler: it’s messy, human, and effective).

If you’ve ever thought “mindfulness just isn’t for me”, this issue might change how you see it (7-9 min read)

Link in comments👇

#adhd

At any point you think someone with ADHD is being ‘lazy’, consider instead that they are mentally:

- overloaded
- overwhelmed
- overstimulated 

The result of this is a dysregulated nervous system, impacting thoughts, emotions, beliefs, sensations, behavior, employment, relationships, health and more.

Not laziness.

tl;dr
ADHD isn’t laziness; it’s nonstop exhaustion.

#adhd

Motivation is genuinely harder in people with ADHD. ADHD brains don’t get consistent dopamine signals from effort alone (it’s dysregulated). Tasks that feel neutral to others often feel unrewarding or draining (this is a functional connectivity issue).

Specific regulation, through mindfulness and nervous-system support, helps stabilize the reward system long enough for effort to feel tolerable. Resulting in moving forward with action.

tl;dr
You’re not unmotivated. Your brain needs different conditions.

#adhd

ADHD focus isn’t a skill you summon (as bad as you may want that). It’s a ‘state’ that emerges when the nervous system is regulated (when you feel balanced). When default mode or threat networks dominate (you under stress), the task-positive and executive networks (taking action processes) can’t stay online.

Mindfulness practices help you notice the state you’re in (from intentional awareness). This activates multiple brain regions and networks to help reorient you. Focus follows state, not effort (no need to ‘just do it).

tl;dr
Focus is conditional.

#adhd

ADHD motivation doesn’t come first, it comes after regulation (no, this isn’t a ‘just do it’ request). But you do need to consider a few things.

Before motivation appears, the brain needs:
– manageable arousal
– low threat (less stress)
– some sense of reward or progress

Mindfulness stabilizes arousal and stress. Solution-focused steps create quick wins. That’s how ADHD brains get moving.

tl;dr
Conditions create motivation.

#adhd

If you have ADHD (and trauma) and your attention keeps getting pulled away, it’s not because your focus is weak. The ventral attention network is designed to detect novelty and potential threat. Think of this as your brain reallocating resources for the purpose of safety. 

ADHD (and trauma) make this system more sensitive and is signaled by strong stimuli, which could impact focus, emotion, and decision making. Consider that your brain is protecting you, not failing you. And keep in mind that regulation practices help the dorsal attention network (goal directed network) stay engaged with what you choose with intention in a more regulated state.

tl;dr
Attention follows safety.

#adhd #trauma

In people with ADHD, the default mode network (DMN) turns on easily and stays on longer. That means more inner dialogue, replaying, planning, and self-criticism, especially under stress.

Trauma makes this louder by adding threat to the story. So the idea of taking any action is out of the question. What’s helpful is regulation, not more insight, so practices like mindfulness or self soothing behavior help ADHD (and trauma) brains shift out of the DMN and into action.

#adhd #trauma

Many adults with ADHD know exactly what needs to be done (you’ve thought of every step). The problem isn’t insight, it’s that the executive network isn’t synced with reward (feels like a misfire).

Without regulation (meaning balancing with stress, triggers, safety), the brain can’t translate plans into action (to feel reward in the future). Mindfulness helps the nervous system settle (regulate). Solution-focused steps reconnect thinking to doing (gets you living life again).

tl;dr
Insight without regulation keeps you stuck.

#adhd

Mindfulness doesn’t motivate ADHD brains by making them calm (or by forced meditation). It works by reducing noise in threat and default mode networks (self soothing processes).

That frees up energy for reward and task-positive systems (as you’re now less overwhelmed). A regulated brain can experience effort as less painful (because you established safety). That’s when motivation has room to show up.

tl;dr
Mindfulness clears the path; motivation walks it.

#adhd

Mindfulness doesn’t quiet the ADHD brain. It reduces default mode dominance (mind wandering mode) and increases flexibility between networks. Mindfulness helps you shift from thinking to doing, meaning the task positive network is now active.

That flexibility is what allows the task-positive network to start and stay online longer so that you can reengage back into your life. Also, mindfulness doesn’t need to be a daunting task. You simply begin noticing when your mind is wandering with intention and sit with it, without judgement, while embracing compassion.

This is where it begins.

tl;dr
Mindfulness isn’t about being calm. It’s about coordination from thinking to doing.

LinkedIn page passed 15,000 followers last week. Mind blowing. 

Thank you for following my journey and work these last few years. My articles, posts, comments, and interactions weren't always straightforward during this period. Yet, overtime I think I've been able to narrow down with some focus which I suspect has helped many people. The results are staggering.

Hundreds of DMs with personal stories related to mental health, therapy, and ADHD. Millions of views, reads, and interactions across a few platforms. Thousands of downloads and sales of my work, all from a pay-what-you-can model. One self-published book on Amazon (that one gets me every time).

I'm excited for what comes next after this dissertation is complete. Can't move too fast (as much as my mind thinks it can). One moment at a time will simply do.

Anyway, cheers to milestones you've never expected. Take care.

Pressure sometimes jumpstarts ADHD motivation, until it doesn’t (been there). That’s because threat (stressors) temporarily activates arousal, not sustainable reward.

Over time, threat ‘shuts down’ the reward networks ADHD brains rely on (protective thing). I suspect both mindfulness and solution-focused regulation practices reduce threat so reward can come back ‘online’ (so you can live again).

tl;dr
Sustainable motivation requires safety.

#adhd

In people with ADHD, emotional activation quickly hijacks attention. And when your emotions rise, the salience and default mode networks pull resources away from focus systems (it’s a safety feature that’s hypersensitive).

That doesn’t mean you’re distracted, it means your nervous system is prioritizing processing (feeling before thinking). To rebalance, mindfulness practices help you acknowledge emotion without spiraling (feeling while thinking/noticing). Because regulation creates space for focus to return.

tl;dr
You can’t focus your way out of dysregulation.

#adhd

ADHD focus struggles when too much has to be held internally (daydreaming, rumination, dysregulation). The visual network helps offload working memory demands (grounding with visual anchor).

Externalizing your tasks supports the executive network and reduces mental drift (returning to the present moment). If it’s not visible it doesn’t exist, and focus is out of the question at this point.

tl;dr
External structure supports internal focus.

#adhd

ADHD focus often collapses because multiple brain networks compete at once (leading to overwhelm). The default mode network pulls inward (mind wandering). The ventral attention network scans for novelty (vigilance). The task-positive network tries to stay engaged (movement/ behavior). 

Juggling each area feels like competition, resulting in mental burnout (and nothing gets done). But regulation practices reduces competition. Breathe, then shift to one visible task. One time block. One small goal.

tl;dr
Reduce competition to restore focus.

#adhd

ADHD focus often comes in bursts, not because it’s unreliable, but because brain networks (functional connectivity) cycle from hyperfocus to shutdown. This is an arousal and brain coordination problem (things aren’t syncing well).

When arousal is too high or low, focus disappears. And trying to focus harder doesn’t work here (that can worsen things). Mindfulness helps you notice your arousal state sooner (awareness). Solution-focused practices help you shift back to what’s most important (action).

tl;dr
Your focus isn’t broken, it’s episodic.

#adhd

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